7k啦言情小说>傲慢与偏见英文版 > 第131章（第1页）
第131章（第1页）
“Thisisnottobeborne。MissBennet，Iinsistonbeingsatisfied。Hashe，hasmynephew，madeyouanofferofmarriage?”
“Yourladyshiphasdeclaredittobeimpossible。”
“Itoughttobeso;itmustbeso，whileheretainstheuseofhisreason。Butyourartsandallurementsmay，inamomentofinfatuation，havemadehimforgetwhatheowestohimselfandtoallhisfamily。Youmayhavedrawnhimin。”
“IfIhave，Ishallbethelastpersontoconfessit。”
“MissBennet，doyouknowwhoIam?Ihavenotbeenaccustomedtosuchlanguageasthis。Iamalmostthenearestrelationhehasintheworld，andamentitledtoknowallhisdearestconcerns。”
“Butyouarenotentitledtoknowmine;norwillsuchbehaviourasthis，everinducemetobeexplicit。”
“Letmeberightlyunderstood。Thismatch，towhichyouhavethepresumptiontoaspire，cannevertakeplace。No，never。Mr。Darcyisengagedtomydaughter。Nowwhathaveyoutosay?”
“Onlythis;thatifheisso，youcanhavenoreasontosupposehewillmakeanoffertome。”
LadyCatherinehesitatedforamoment，andthenreplied:
“Theengagementbetweenthemisofapeculiarkind。Fromtheirinfancy，theyhavebeenintendedforeachother。Itwasthefavouritewishofhismother，aswellasofhers。Whileintheircradles，weplannedtheunion:andnow，atthemomentwhenthewishesofbothsisterswouldbeaccomplishedistheirmarriage，tobepreventedbyayoungwomanofinferiorbirth，ofnoimportanceintheworld，andwhollyunalliedtothefamily!Doyoupaynoregardtothewishesofhisfriends?TohistacitengagementwithMissdeBourgh?Areyoulosttoeveryfeelingofproprietyanddelicacy?Haveyounotheardmesaythatfromhisearliesthourshewasdestinedforhiscousin?”
“Yes，andIhadhearditbefore。Butwhatisthattome?Ifthereisnootherobjectiontomymarryingyournephew，IshallcertainlynotbekeptfromitbyknowingthathismotherandauntwishedhimtomarryMissdeBourgh。Youbothdidasmuchasyoucouldinplanningthemarriage。Itscompletiondependedonothers。IfMr。Darcyisneitherbyhonournorinclinationconfinedtohiscousin，whyisnothetomakeanotherchoice?AndifIamthatchoice，whymaynotIaccepthim?”
“Becausehonour，decorum，prudence，nay，interest，forbidit。Yes，MissBennet，interest;fordonotexpecttobenoticedbyhisfamilyorfriends，ifyouwilfullyactagainsttheinclinationsofall。Youwillbecensured，slighted，anddespised，byeveryoneconnectedwithhim。Youralliancewillbeadisgrace;yournamewillneverevenbementionedbyanyofus。”
“Theseareheavymisfortunes，”repliedElizabeth。“ButthewifeofMr。Darcymusthavesuchextraordinarysourcesofhappinessnecessarilyattachedtohersituation，thatshecould，uponthewhole，havenocausetorepine。”
“Obstinate，headstronggirl!Iamashamedofyou!Isthisyourgratitudeformyattentionstoyoulastspring?Isnothingduetomeonthatscore?Letussitdown。Youaretounderstand，MissBennet，thatIcameherewiththedeterminedresolutionofcarryingmypurpose;norwillIbedissuadedfromit。Ihavenotbeenusedtosubmittoanypersonswhims。Ihavenotbeeninthehabitofbrookingdisappointment。”
“Thatwillmakeyourladyshipssituationatpresentmorepitiable;butitwillhavenoeffectonme。”
“Iwillnotbeinterrupted。Hearmeinsilence。Mydaughterandmynephewareformedforeachother。Theyaredescended，onthematernalside，fromthesamenobleline;and，onthefathers，fromrespectable，honourable，andancient—thoughuntitled—families。Theirfortuneonbothsidesissplendid。Theyaredestinedforeachotherbythevoiceofeverymemberoftheirrespectivehouses;andwhatistodividethem?Theupstartpretensionsofayoungwomanwithoutfamily，connections，orfortune。Isthistobeendured!Butitmustnot，shallnotbe。Ifyouweresensibleofyourowngood，youwouldnotwishtoquitthesphereinwhichyouhavebeenbroughtup。”
“Inmarryingyournephew，Ishouldnotconsidermyselfasquittingthatsphere。Heisagentleman;Iamagentlemansdaughter;sofarweareequal。”
“True。Youareagentlemansdaughter。Butwhowasyourmother?Whoareyourunclesandaunts?Donotimaginemeignorantoftheircondition。”
“Whatevermyconnectionsmaybe，”saidElizabeth，“ifyournephewdoesnotobjecttothem，theycanbenothingtoyou。”
“Tellmeonceforall，areyouengagedtohim?”
